Motorcycles are commonly transported in the bed of a pickup truck, flat bed trailer or other general transportation vehicle having no inherent apparatus for supporting the motorcycle in an upright position. Normally the motorcycle is positioned on the bed of the transportation vehicle and secured in an upright position with tie-straps connected to the transportation vehicle and connected directly to the motorcycle.
The tie-straps are commonly attached to the motorcycle's hand grips as the hand grips are the structural components of the motorcycle positioned most vertically and laterally distal the motorcycle's center of gravity. By attaching the straps at these points, the motorcycle is better stabilized in an upright position as the supporting force is exerted on the motorcycle at points laterally equi-distal to the motorcycle's center of gravity and with a maximum leverage force relative thereto.
Difficulties arise; however, with the aforedescribed methodology in that the full supporting force is applied to the very limited area of the hand grips which are commonly made of rubber, poly-foam or other soft elastic material. Consequently, the hand grips are often damaged by the tie-straps during transport. Further, as the supporting forces pull laterally against the motorcycle, the tie-straps commonly slip off the hand grips causing the motorcycle to fall. Also, when the tie-straps slip, movement of the straps relative to the motorcycle's handle bars commonly results in damages to the mirrors, brake levers, clutch levers, gauges and other relatively delicate apparatus commonly attached to the handle bars proximate the hand grips.